The main objective of the project is to link up and connect various learning communities all over Europe and raise the role of communication in learning processes through implementation of 2^nd generation e-learning (e-Learning 2.0) in higher and vocational education.

The specific aims of the project are the following:

·    To promote e-Learning 2.0 and raise the competence and confidence of teachers by developing 3 electronic training courses for the teachers and other staff of higher and vocational education, concentrating on e-learning 2.0 technologies, assessment methods and administration

·    To enhance and develop the training courses further through testing the e-courses among 90 teachers and other staff of higher and vocational education

·    To identify the success factors and obstacles (assess and document the changes and improvements) of the training courses and e-Learning 2.0 by carrying on an action research among the teachers who have participated in the training courses

·    To establish 3 sustainable networks of teachers of higher and vocational education while writing the compendiums of the action research (sharing best practice of using e-Learning 2.0) with the help of the training course tutors

·    To share the results and resources of the project with wider community through composing the database where all the metadata and modules of the e-courses are included

This project consists of 4 phases based on effective project cycle management:

1          In preparatory phase the main indicators are:

1.1     7 case studies, in preparation of the e-courses and action research,  will be conducted through critical review and comparative analysis of European action research projects concentrating on teacher training in the field of ICT and e-learning

1.2     3 electronic training courses will be developed for teachers and other staff of higher and vocational education

·         An e-course concerning new technologies of e-learning with 4 completed training modules

·         An e-course concerning new assessment methods of e-learning with 3 completed training modules

·         An e-course concerning a-learning administration with 2 completed training modules

1.3     3 electronic guidelines and tutorials will be compiled for the training courses

1.4     3 tutors will be trained in order to instruct the implementation of the training courses and support the communication between the participants

2          In testing phase the main indicators are:

2.1     90 persons (teachers and other staff of the universities and vocational schools) have participated in the e-courses in the piloting phase

3          In Evaluation and updating phase the main indicators are:

3.1     45 action research reports will be compiled in order to measure the effect of the e-courses and e-Learning 2.0

3.2     3 compendiums of action research will be compiled from the individual reports

3.3     3 networks of the participants of the action research will be formed while composing the compendiums of action research with the help of the course tutors in order to share the best practices of using e-Learning 2.0

3.4     3 e-courses will be enhanced and updated as a result of testing and action research

3.5     3 e-courses will be localized (incl translation) as a result of testing and action research

·         The instructions and materials of the  e-course New Technologies of e-Learning will be translated into Estonian and Swedish

·         The instructions and materials the e-course New Assessment Methods of e-Learning will be translated into Estonian and Finnish

·         The instructions and materials the e-course Administration of  e-Learning will be translated into Estonian and Russian

4          In dissemination and exploitation phase the main indicators are:

4.1     1 database will be created for dissemination and exploitation of the e-courses which includes all the modules and metadata of the training courses

4.2     1 project website will be created for dissemination of the project and its results